JPH10141372A - Linear guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize high accuracy lubrication over a long period of time so as to promote a long service life. SOLUTION: In this device, solid lubricating coats are formed at ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) of a rail body 10 and ball circulating path 11b (11c) of a slider body, and a porous surface part is formed on the surface of a ball 12 accommodated in a rotatory-movable state in the ball circulating path. When the slider body is energized to move in relation to the rail body 10 to rotatory- move the ball 12 in the ball circulating path 11b (11c), the ball 12 is brought into contact with the solid lubricating coat in the ball circulating path 11 and the solid lubricating coat of the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) of the rail body 10, and the solid lubricating coats are shifted to adhere to the ball 12 by the action of the surface part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a linear guide device suitable for use in an extreme environment such as space or vacuum.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a spacecraft such as an artificial satellite is equipped with various mounted devices such as an antenna device, and a well-known linear guide device is mounted on a linear drive mechanism of the mounted device. ing. In this linear guide device, a pair of guide grooves is provided so as to sandwich a guide rail of a rail main body, and a slider main body is mounted on a guide reel of the rail main body so as to be linearly movable.

In the slider body, a ring-shaped ball circulation path is formed corresponding to the ball guide groove of the rail body.
An opening is provided in the ball circulation portion so as to correspond to the ball guide groove of the rail body, and a plurality of balls are rotatably accommodated. Accordingly, when the slider body is urged to move toward the rail guide section of the rail body, a plurality of balls in the ball circulation path are rotated and moved from the opening to the ball guide groove of the rail body during the movement. Upon contact, linear movement of the slider body is realized.

When such a linear guide device is used in outer space having an ultra-high thermal vacuum environment,
It is difficult to use oil or grease used on the ground for the lubrication system. Therefore, a linear guide device used in outer space is provided with a solid lubricant such as molybdenum disulfide by a sputtering method, an ion plating method, a plating method, or a coating method. A so-called solid lubrication system in which lubrication is formed on the surface and the ball circulation path of the slider body is adopted.

However, in the above linear guide device, when a solid lubricating film is formed by the former sputtering method or ion plating method, it is difficult to form the film thickness relatively easily and with high precision due to its manufacturing method. Although it is possible, it is difficult to form it on the ball surface with high precision,
There is a problem that the absolute amount of the coating is small and the life is relatively short.

Further, when a solid lubricating film is formed by the latter plating method or coating method, it is difficult to form a thin film, and a relatively large amount of wear powder is generated.
There is a problem that so-called "play" occurs between the slider main body and the rail main body, frictional resistance between the slider main body and the rail main body is increased, and accuracy is reduced. Such a problem is the same even in an extreme environment such as a vacuum atmosphere in a ground environment where it is difficult to use oil or grease as a lubricant.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional linear guide device has a problem that its life is short and it is difficult to realize high-precision operation over a long period of time. . The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a linear guide device which has a simple configuration, can achieve high-precision lubrication over a long period of time, and has a long life. Aim.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a rail body having a pair of ball guide grooves formed with a solid lubricating film on both sides of a guide rail, and a guide rail of the rail body. A slider body having an opening along the ball guide groove of the rail body and provided with a ring-shaped ball circulation path on which a solid lubricating film is formed; and A plurality of balls having a porous surface portion that is rotatably accommodated in the ball circulation path and is rotatably moved in contact with a ball guide groove of the rail body from an opening of the hole circulation path; And a linear guide device is provided.

According to the above construction, when the slider body is urged to move with respect to the rail body and the ball is rotated in the ball circulation path, the ball is solid-lubricated in the ball circulation path and the rail body. The solid lubricating eardrum is transferred and transferred by the action of the surface portion of the solid lubricating eardrum of the ball guide groove, and the transferred solid lubricating eardrum and the solid lubricating coating of the ball circulation path and the rail guide groove make the transfer. Lubrication is performed in cooperation. This prevents the generation of wear powder on the solid lubricating film generated during the rotational movement of the ball, thereby preventing an increase in frictional resistance between the slider body and the rail body due to the wear powder. By preventing wear powder, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of "play" due to wear of the solid lubricating coating on the ball circulation path and the rail guide groove.

Further, the present invention is configured such that the surface portions of the plurality of balls are formed in a porous state on the order of submicrons. According to the above configuration, when the ball is rotated, the fixed lubricating film of the ball circulation path and the rail guide groove is uniformly transferred to the surface of the ball, and the transferred solid lubricating film is uniformly formed.

Further, in the present invention, the solid lubricating film formed on the ball guide portion of the rail main body and the ball circulation path of the slider main body is formed of the same or similar material.

According to the above construction, even when the solid lubricant film on the slider enters the ball guide groove of the rail body or the solid lubricant film on the rail body enters the ball circulation path of the slider body, By having the same lubricating function, the effective use of the amount of the lubricant is further promoted, and the life can be prolonged.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a linear guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a rail main body 10 is provided with guide rails 10a corresponding to moving directions (directions of arrows A and B). Two pairs of ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10b) are provided on both sides of the rail main body 10 across the guide rail 10a.
c) are provided in a stacking manner in the moving direction, and a solid lubricating film (not shown for convenience of the drawing) is formed in these ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) as described later.

A substantially U-shaped slider body 11 is mounted on the rail body 10 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows A and B (see FIG. 2). A guide portion 11a is provided at the center of the slider body 11 so as to correspond to the guide rail 10a of the rail body 10. Two pairs of ball circulation paths 11b (11c) having a ring shape as shown in FIG. 2 are provided on both sides of the slider body 11 with the guide portion 11a interposed therebetween. Only the sides are shown) are the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10b) of the rail body 10.
It is provided in a stack shape corresponding to c).

The two pairs of ball circulation paths 11b (11c)
Is a solid lubricating film on its inner surface (not shown for the sake of illustration)
Are formed by a sputtering method or an ion plating method, and an opening 12 is formed at a predetermined position in the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10b) of the rail body 10.
c, 10c). A plurality of balls 12 are rotatably accommodated in the ball circulation path 11b (11c). The surfaces of the plurality of balls 12 are formed in a porous state,
The ball guide grooves 10b, 1b of the rail body 10 slightly project from the opening 11d of the ball circulation path 11b (11c).
0b (10c, 10c) and is rotated.

The rail main body 10, slider main body 11 and ball 12 are formed of a metal material such as bearing steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant steel, alloy tool steel, and high-speed steel. And
The ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10
c, 10c) and the ball circulation path 11 of the slider body 11
As the solid lubricating film in b (11c), a MoS2 film is formed by a sputtering method, and an A is formed by an ion plating method.
u, Ag, Pb, etc.
An oS2 film or the like is formed.

The ball guide grooves 10b, 10b
(10c, 10c) and ball circulation path 11b (11c)
May be formed of the same material, or may be formed using the same material.

The porous surface portion formed on the surface of the ball 12 is finished in a porous state on the order of submicrons by oxalate treatment, phosphate treatment, succinate treatment and the like.

In the above configuration, the rail body 10 is attached to, for example, a fixed body of a linear drive mechanism (not shown), and the slider body 11 is attached to a linear moving body. When the slider body 11 is urged to move in the directions of arrows A and B with respect to the rail body 10, the balls 12 of the ball circulation path 11b (11c) of the slider body 11 move in the ball circulation path 11b (11c). It is rotated and moved.

At the same time, the ball 12 is
The ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) of the rail body 10 come into contact with the opening 11d of the rail b (11c). Then, the ball 12 moves to the ball circulation path 11b (11
c) and the solid lubricating film of the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) of the rail body 10 is brought into contact with the solid lubricating film in FIG.
The solid lubricating eardrum is transferred and transferred, and the transferred solid lubricating coating and the ball circulation path 11b (11c) and the rail guide groove 1 are transferred.
The lubrication operation is performed in cooperation with the solid lubricating films 0b and 10b (10c and 10c).

This prevents the frictional resistance between the slider main body 11 and the rail main body 10 from increasing due to the generation of abrasion powder of the solid lubricating film generated during the rotational movement of the ball 12, and the ball circulation path 11b (11c). ) And rail guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c), it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of "play" due to wear of the solid lubricating coating.

As described above, the linear guide device includes the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) of the rail body 10.
10c) and the ball circulation path 11b of the slider body 11
(11c) A solid lubricating film is formed on the ball circulation path 1
Ball 12 housed rotatably in 1b (11c)
When the slider body 11 is moved and urged against the rail body 11 to rotate the ball 12 in the ball circulation path 11b (11c), the ball 12 Solid lubricating film in ball circulation path 11b (11c) and ball guide groove 10 in rail body 10
b, 10b (10c, 10c) were brought into contact with the solid lubricating coating, and the surface of the solid lubricating eardrum was transferred and transferred by the action of the surface portion.

According to this, a so-called transferred solid lubricating film transferred to the ball 12 and the ball circulation path 11b (11
c) and rail guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10
By performing the lubrication in cooperation with the solid lubricating film of c), the generation of abrasion powder of the solid lubricating film generated when the ball 12 rotates is prevented, and the slider main body 11 and the rail main body due to the abrasion powder are generated. An increase in the frictional resistance with the motor 10 is prevented, and highly accurate operation control over a long period of time is realized.

Further, according to this, since the generation of abrasion powder is prevented, "wobbles" due to wear of the solid lubricating coating on the ball circulation path 11b (11c) and the ball guide grooves 10b, 10b (10c, 10c) are obtained. Can be effectively prevented, and from this point as well, highly accurate operation control over a long period is realized.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to equipment used in outer space has been described as a representative. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is applicable even in an extreme environment where use of oil or grease is difficult. Yes, almost the same effective effects are expected.

In the above embodiment, the rail body 1
Although the description has been made of the case where the slider body 11 is mounted on the linear moving body by mounting the slider body 11 on the fixed body, the rail body is mounted on the linear moving body and the slider body is mounted on the fixed body without being limited to this. Such a configuration is also possible. Therefore, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a linear guide device having a long life can be realized with a simple structure and high precision lubrication can be realized for a long period of time. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an appearance of a linear guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of a main part of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... rail body. 10a ... guide rail. 10b, 10c: ball guide grooves. 11 ... Slider body. 11a: Guide section. 11b, 11c ... ball circulation path. 11d ... opening. 12 ... Ball.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A rail body having a pair of ball guide grooves provided with a solid lubricating film formed on both sides of a guide rail, wherein the rail body is guided and moved by a guide rail of the rail body. A slider body having an opening along the ball guide groove of the rail body and provided with a ring-shaped ball circulation path on which a solid lubricating film is formed; and a freely rotatable movement in the ball circulation path of the slider body. A plurality of balls having a porous surface portion rotatably moved in contact with a ball guide groove of the rail main body from an opening of the hole circulation path. 2. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls have a surface portion formed in a porous state on the order of submicrons. 3. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the solid lubricating films formed on the ball guide portion and the ball circulation runway are formed of the same or the same material. 4. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls are subjected to oxalate treatment to form a porous surface portion. 5. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls are subjected to a phosphate treatment to form a porous surface portion. 6. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls are subjected to nitrate treatment to form a porous surface portion.